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AriatClassic II Half ChapEnglish Chaps/Boots/Helmets

Purchase: I special ordered this through a local tack store so I could get a specific size and color (brown, small - tall) but not pay shipping. I paid full price, $99.95, plus our Hawaii 4.16 % tax. My old chaps were falling apart (literally) and I needed a new pair that would last me a long time. I also wanted chaps of good quality and excellent fit that would help me ride my best.

Likes: I love the fit. They're really just great. The smooth leather on the outside looks and feels great, while the suede leather on the inside gives me just the right amount of grip to perfect my position. The interior lining breathes amazingly well, and my legs don't heat up as much as they do in most half chaps - important in Hawaii.

Dislikes: The color doesn't quite match my boots, but that's probably because my boots aren't from Ariat too (they're actually Justin Lace-up Ropers, a western kind of paddock boot that works better than silly English paddock boots). If you have ever seen a picture of these chaps, I warn you that the colors can be very misleading - like any pictures of leather usually are. The color "waxed cordovan" looks nothing like the picture - I ordered it first because I thought it would match my strangely-colored boots better. It's really a dark red-brown, not a medium brown. The outside leather does get scuffed a little bit, but I think that most of this can be oiled out. I don't know how to describe this, but there are little "wrinkles" in the leather where it creases against itself. Hopefully you know what I mean? These can't be oiled out and don't affect performance, but they do make the leather look a little less professional, new and polished than they did when they came out of the bag. Then again, I suppose this is only to be expected!

Quality: Nearly everything about this is amazing quality, from the zipper to the leather to the elastic stirrup (the part that goes under your boot). The zipper is heavy duty and the zipper pull is a nice piece of leather attached to an industrial-strength zipper. The velcro used to hold the leather over the zipper is also really good and has never pulled apart. These chaps will wear well, probably better than most, and will last you for years as long as you store them well - you probably wouldn't even have to clean them!

Summary: I understand that with most horse tack, you have to pay for what you get. I think this can justify the hundred-dollar price tag I paid for these chaps. The quality is excellent, and I know I'll be riding for a long time in them. Ariat makes some of the best stuff!
I'm only giving these a 4 out of 5 because they're not completely perfect and I never give a 5 out of 5. However, they're really more like a 4.5 - they're great!